Maiden's Kiss
by randomteenager
Summary: Cloud never had many expectations for his birthday, but he certainly didn't expect to be turned into a frog. Tifa couldn't stop laughing until she realized they ran out of the antidote, leaving only one solution. [CloTi] [one-shot]


**Author's Note:** I used a contest on deviantart as an incentive to write hehe. I usually don't do stuff for character birthdays but Cloud is my favorite so he gets a story for his birthday month. Hope you like it! Special thanks to my sister mauia88 for helping me out and beta-ing for me!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but the plotline.

* * *

**Maiden's Kiss**

Summary: Cloud never had many expectations for his birthday, but he certainly didn't expect to be turned into a frog. Tifa couldn't stop laughing until she realized they ran out of the antidote, leaving only one solution. [CloTi] [one-shot]

* * *

To Cloud, August 19th was just another ordinary day, but to everyone else, it was his one special day: his birthday.

Being the quiet man he was, Cloud never cared to make his birthday a big deal. While it was nice to be reminded that he was loved and cared for, he didn't particularly enjoy all the attention focused squarely on him.

This year, he came up with a good solution. He decided to spend his birthday with Denzel and Marlene by teaching them basic status ailments to use against any enemies they may come across. This way, they wouldn't be completely defenseless during a fight, and Cloud would be able to have fun with the kids.

"Like this, Cloud?" Denzel asked, dashing 'confuse' on a nearby plant.

Cloud stood overhead the boy, arms crossed over his chest as he nodded. "Yeah, nice job."

Denzel cheered while Marlene watched in awe. "Ooh, I wanna try!"

"Here," Cloud said, stooping down and handing Marlene 'petrification'. "Try it on the cactus over there."

The little girl did as told, skipping over and sprinkling the spell on the spiked plant. Within a few moments, it stood perfectly straight before slowly turning to stone.

Marlene's eyes widened as Denzel glanced over her shoulder from behind her. "Whoa, so cool!" He turned and glanced up to his hero. "You use these spells all the time, Cloud?"

"Only when it's necessary," he replied. "These are only for emergencies, understand?"

"What does that one do?" Marlene asked, pointing to a pouch on his hip.

Cloud glanced at the object. "This? It takes away your magic and weakens your strength, and you turn into a frog—"

"A _frog_?!" Denzel echoed excitedly, snatching the pouch. "Awesome!"

"Eww, frogs are gross!" cried Marlene.

"Better be super nice to me Marlene! Or else!"

Marlene laughed and ran away as Denzel chased her. She squealed when he almost caught her, quickly dashing behind Cloud's leg for safety.

Cloud scratched his head, "Hey, it's not a toy—"

"Wh-_Whoa!_"

Denzel tripped over his own foot, sending the spell flying—

_Poof!_

"EEEEEEEKK!"

* * *

"Tifa! _Tifaaa!"_

The woman's ears perked at the sound of Marlene's distressed calls. Bathed in flour as she put the finishing touches on Cloud's birthday cake, she heard a flurry of footsteps rushing inside before Marlene appeared, launching herself at Tifa's leg.

"Tifa! Help!"

Tifa's brow creased in concern as she rubbed Marlene's back soothingly. "Marlene? What's the matter?"

The girl let go of her leg and tugged on her hand. "Come with me, quickly!"

"All right," Tifa replied gently, letting Marlene lead her outside. "Did something bad happen?"

"Look!" Marlene cried.

Tifa blinked as her gaze fell upon Denzel's crouched form, his back facing her. "Denzel?"

The boy flinched, whisking his head over his shoulder. "Tifa! It was an accident, I swear!"

She tilted her head, "What happened?"

"Um—uh…"

"Show her, Denzel!"

"All right, all right!" he sputtered, slowly turning around to reveal something in his hands.

Tifa lifted a brow. "A… frog?"

"_Ribbit_," croaked the frog.

She laughed behind her hand before turning around, placing her hands on her knees as she gave a gentle smile to Marlene. "Sweetie, was Denzel scaring you with the frog?"

"Um, Tifa," mumbled Denzel, "you might want to look again."

Tifa glanced over her shoulder, tilting her head, "Hm?"

"Look…" said the boy, lifting the frog close to Tifa's face. Its little legs dangled in the air as its wide eyes stared into Tifa's crimson ones.

The woman blinked, eyeing the amphibian before leaning her face away. "I don't get it, Denzel. It's just an ordinary frog."

"It's Cloud!" Marlene cried.

Tifa looked at the girl. "What?"

"Um…" Denzel began nervously. "Cloud was showing us how to use these cool spells and I was playing with Marlene when I accidentally tripped and now, Cloud's like this."

"Spells?" Tifa questioned. Realization dawned upon her face as she gasped. "You accidentally cast 'frog' on Cloud?"

"I'm sorry! It was an accident, I swear!"

Tifa glanced over the boy's shoulder, finding Cloud's clothes bundled messily on the floor. Leaning close to the frog, she stared deep into its froggy eyes. "Cloud…?"

"…_Ribbit."_

A silence settled between them before Tifa burst out laughing, holding her stomach as she bent forward. Denzel and Marlene exchanged puzzled glances while frog-Cloud was very unamused.

"I don't get it, what's so funny?" Denzel asked.

Tifa's laughter eventually dwindled down as she wiped a tear from her eye. "Oh, nothing," she replied between stifled giggles, taking Cloud from Denzel's hands as she held him in her palms. "Should I change the chocolate cake to one fly-flavored? We'll need to resize your swords and Fenrir! Oh, you'll be a great help for insects around the house—!"

"Tifa," Denzel whined, taking Cloud from her hands and holding him up. "How do we fix him?"

Frog-Cloud croaked in agreement.

Tifa pouted, "Oh, you're right. It is his birthday, isn't it? Okay, come with me." Turning around, she walked back inside Seventh Heaven with Denzel and Marlene trailing after her.

"What are you going to do?" the boy asked as Tifa took frog-Cloud and placed him on the bar counter.

The woman smiled at him. "Don't worry, Denzel, this isn't the first time this has happened." She scurried up the stairs, digging through the medicine counter before retrieving what she was looking for. Returning downstairs, she held the small antidote bottle low for the children to see. "See? The remedy is called 'Maiden's Kiss'. Just use this if you ever want to reverse the effect."

"Ooh," the kids chorused, watching expectantly as Tifa uncorked the cap.

She turned the bottle upside down and—_poof!_

The smoke gradually cleared… only to reveal Cloud, still stuck in frog form.

"Huh?" the three questioned in unison.

"What happened?" asked Marlene.

Tifa looked inside the bottle. "Wha—no way! There's no more left?"

"Now what?" inquired Denzel, holding Cloud in his hands.

"I know! Tifa should kiss him!" squealed Marlene.

The woman jumped at the suggestion. "_What?_"

"Like in the fairy tales! True love will break the spell!"

Tifa's eye twitched, "True… love…?"

"Yeah!" cried Marlene, grabbing frog-Cloud from Denzel and holding it up to Tifa's face. "Break the spell, Tifa!" she giggled. "Do it, do it!"

Denzel's face twisted as he stuck his tongue out, "Bleh."

Tifa hesitated as Marlene chanted, "Come on, Tifa! Kiss him! Like in the story when the pretty princess kisses the frog and he turns into a handsome prince and they get married and live happily ever after—"

"All right, all right," Tifa mumbled, taking the frog from Marlene's waiting hands. A blush spread across her cheeks as she brought him to her face, her stomach twisting nervously. Though a frog, this was still Cloud, and she couldn't let him spend his birthday like this.

"Sorry about this whole mess, Cloud," she murmured. "I'll make sure to restock on antidotes first thing tomorrow, okay?" Frog-Cloud stared at her with puzzled eyes, croaking quietly. Tifa bit her lip, looking at Marlene who ushered her to continue with an eager smile. "A-Anyway… sorry about this!"

She brought the frog to her face, closed her eyes and kissed him. Cloud's frog-eyes widened at the sudden sensation before—_poof!_

When Tifa felt a pair of hands on her waist, her eyes fluttered open, meeting Cloud's wide cerulean eyes. She blushed heavily upon realizing her lips were still locked with his, breaking the kiss quickly as she took a step back and held a hand in front of her mouth, staring at a corner.

A light blush dusted his cheeks as Cloud scratched the back of his head, looking away. Clearing his throat, he muttered, "Uh… thanks."

Tifa continued to avoid his eyes, a blush still fixed on her face. "Yeah, s-sure," she peeped.

"Cloud's back!" Marlene cheered.

Denzel grinned before blinking in confusion, "Hey, Cloud… where are your clothes?"

Tifa flinched, peeking at Cloud's chest as he looked down, finding himself, indeed, bare to the toes.

"Ahh!" Tifa screamed, arms flailing about as she stood in front of Cloud, blocking the view from the children. "Kids, look away! Denzel, take Marlene outside and get some clothes for Cloud please!"

Denzel nodded, "Okay. Come on, Marlene."

A silence settled after the kids the left. The creaking of the barstool caught Tifa's attention as she turned slightly. Her eyes followed the barstool until she almost caught a glimpse of Cloud, making her squeal and quickly turn away as he covered himself.

"Sorry," he muttered, his face burning in embarrassment.

She kept her gaze trained straight ahead of her, peeping, "It's okay."

"Uh, Tifa…"

"Y-Yes…?"

"_Ribbit."_

Tifa snuck a glance at him as Cloud's eyebrows lifted in surprise, his hand covering his mouth.

A giggle escaped her lips as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I guess it didn't work completely, huh?"

Despondently, he muttered, "Guess not."

"Sorry about that…" she mumbled, twirling a lock of hair around her finger.

His eyes flickered to her face before staring at a corner. "Uh, maybe…" Tifa shyly looked at him, blinking at the blush creeping on his cheeks. Cloud coughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "…we should… try again?"

Her eyes widened as her face naturally flushed. "Another… kiss…?"

He gave a small shrug. "It worked before…"

Fidgeting with her hands, she murmured, "I guess it, um, couldn't hurt…"

She covered her eyes as she slowly turned around. _Don't look down don't look down don't look down_. She peeked through a small gap in her fingers, keeping her gaze trained on his face as she gradually lowered her hand.

A meek smile curved her lips as she took small steps towards him. He watched her hands shyly move to rest on his shoulders, her red eyes looking into his before she ducked her head bashfully.

Cloud gently grabbed her waist before pulling her closer to him, eliciting a soft gasp from the brunette woman as her blush darkened. Her gaze met his once more before she gradually closed her eyes, waiting expectantly.

Cloud swallowed, glancing from her closed eyes to her slightly parted lips. Slowly, he leaned forward and closed the distance between them, pressing his mouth against hers.

She inwardly swooned when his lips touched hers, her grip on his shoulders tightening slightly. Her body moved on its own as she tilted her head and wrapped her arms around his neck, responding eagerly to his kiss.

He rested his back against the bar counter as his hands kept a secure grip on her waist, pulling her even closer to him. Burying a hand in his hair, Tifa leaned her upper body against him, her heart racing in her chest as his hand gripped the back of her shirt—

"Uh…"

The two immediately sprung apart, leaving a large gap between them as their faces turned beet red.

"Denzel!" Tifa gasped as the boy blushed heavily.

"H-Here are the clothes, Tifa," he stammered, placing them on the floor before bolting out of the room.

Tifa sighed, walking to where the bundled clothes were abandoned before scooping them up. Returning to Cloud, she averted her eyes as she held out his clothes for him.

She felt a yank on her wrist, her eyes widening as he brought his face close to hers. A blush tinted her cheeks as she instinctively closed her eyes, only to feel his thumb brush a smudge of flour from her cheek.

Her lashes fluttered open, meeting Cloud's gaze as he gave her a small smile. "I think I feel another croak coming."

Her face burned in embarrassment as she whisked her head away, flustered. "P-Put your clothes on first!"

"First?" he asked, a teasing glint in his eye as he took his clothes from her idle hands.

"No—! I-I mean—just get dressed!" Cloud chuckled as Tifa returned to her cake, muttering under her breath before adding, "And don't look at the cake!"

She picked up the frosting and leaned over the counter, carefully applying it to the edges of the dessert.

"Looks good," Cloud murmured behind her, his mouth by the shell of her ear.

Tifa shrieked as the frosting missed the corner, decorating the counter instead. Feeling her elbow hit his bare stomach, she glanced over her shoulder, finding him dressed in only pants as his shirt draped over his shoulder.

"Cloud!" she scolded. "I told you not to look!"

He swiped the frosting off the counter and sucked his finger clean. Licking his upper lip, he said nonchalantly, "Not bad."

Tifa blushed and whipped her head away, puffing her cheeks as she stared at the cake. "That was your birthday present, you know."

"The cake?" he asked. "Or…"

"Not the cake," she mumbled, feeling her face grow hotter.

He stepped beside her and turned her face towards his. "I lost it. Give me another one."

She stared at him with wide eyes, speechless, as he leaned closer. Her lashes lowered over her eyes, his lips mere inches away—

The door suddenly sprung open, making Tifa flinch as she shoved the frosting tube in Cloud's mouth. He choked before pulling it out and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, glancing at Tifa's face before following her gaze.

"Look who's here!" chirped Marlene as Denzel tagged behind.

"Yooo!" hollered Barrett as he, Vincent, Cid, Yuffie, Reeve and Nanaki stepped into the room. "Hope we ain't too late for the—Spiky, what the hell!?" He slapped his hand over Marlene's eyes, "Why you naked?"

"_Still?_" chimed in Denzel, exasperated.

"Damn boy can't keep it in his pants," Cid muttered, rolling a toothpick between his teeth.

"Whoo-hoo!" Yuffie cheered. "Now it's a party!"

Reeve snickered, "Hey Cloud, isn't it a bit early for you to be in your birthday suit?"

"Humans are strange," mumbled Nanaki.

"Put some pants on, boy!" Barrett roared. "Who the hell you think you are? Is this what you do around Marlene when I'm gone?!"

Cloud sighed as Tifa laughed, taking the frosting from his hand as she squeezed some on her finger and swiped it on his mouth.

"Happy Birthday, Cloud."


End file.
